A Lesson In Trust
by A-very-supernatural-fan
Summary: John teaches his boys a lesson in trust. Dean is 14, Sam is 10.


**A LESSON IN TRUST**

**Summary: **_John teaches his boys a lesson in trust. _**Dean is 14, Sam is 10.**

**Author's note: **This story is based on a Tumblr gif that a friend of mine shared with me a while back. Funny how inspiration for stories can turn up in the most peculiar ways, huh? Btw, JIB5 was a blast – and the Js were so damn wonderful ;)

-Elisa.

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"_Does trust have to be earned? Or is it simply a matter of faith?_"

- Nicholas Sparks – "_At First Sight_".

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Dean had been taught many lessons in his fourteen-year-old life. These were lessons, which his father always emphasized, that were requisite to be taught in order to survive in a world of evil. In addition to the endless lessons he taught, John Winchester always had a thousand different rules he expected his boys to remember and follow 'cause, as he always said; "_Being prepared is what makes the difference in a life-or-death situation. It's what keeps you alive. Remember that, boys_ _- it's important_."

This particular day was no different. John had borrowed an old cabin from a fellow hunter, and while his youngest stayed inside the cabin doing his homework, John brought his oldest son with him outside for a lesson in trust. Used to his father's many ways of showing him the ropes, Dean stood by watching intently as his dad disappeared into an old shed and returned a few moments later carrying a wooden folding ladder. The older hunter set up the ladder in the middle of the overgrown garden, checked its stability for a few seconds and then turned towards Dean.

"Alright, climb the steps Dean." John said and stepped a little away to give Dean room to approach the ladder.

Never one to question his dad's methods or the reason behind his demands, the oldest Winchester brother moved forward and began to climb the ladder without any hesitation. It would have been so much different with Sam though, Dean thought as he climbed the steps – the kid always questioned the purpose of whatever their father was trying to teach them, even though it drove their old man crazy. Too often Dean had to tell the ten-year-old to quit asking so many questions - that their dad knew what he was doing, and wouldn't let them get hurt. But just as often Dean let a physically and mentally exhausted little brother curl up next to him in bed by the end of an in particular hard training session, and it was at times like these that Dean secretly pondered if he had reason to question his dad's methods after all. But not today though – today Sam was safely inside the cabin while John was teaching Dean stuff on his own.

Since his dad made no indications that he wanted him to stop any sooner, Dean continued to climb the ladder until he was on the top step - then looked down at his father expectantly.

"Good." John praised. "Now listening closely. I want you to turn your back to me and, when I tell you to, you're gonna let yourself fall backwards and then I'll catch you."

Dean nodded shortly to let John know that he'd understood the task, then faced away from his dad. He felt somewhat relieved that his father couldn't see his face because it meant that John couldn't see the nervousness in his expression right in that moment, but at the same time Dean felt intimidated by the fact that he couldn't rely on his sight for this training session – whatever the point of it was. Dean's mouth suddenly felt dry and he swallowed a couple of times before he took a deep breath to calm his nerves and mentally prepared himself for the fall he was about to take.

"It's called a 'trust fall'." John said, sensing the nervousness Dean was trying his best to hide. "You trust me, right son?"

"Yeah." Dean replied and glanced down at his father who had his arms spread out so that Dean could see he was ready to catch him.

"Then get ready." John ordered and Dean faced away from his dad once more. "On the count of three, you let yourself fall back. 1.. 2… 3."

Dean did as he was told and let himself fall backwards off the ladder – trusting in his dad to catch him before he hit the ground below. That was why it came as a big shock to Dean when his descent wasn't stopped as he'd expected it to be, and he ended up on the ground after all, looking wide-eyed up at his dad with unmasked surprise.

"Rule number one, Dean; never trust anybody." John said and crouched down next to his oldest who slowly got into a sitting position on the ground while still staring wordlessly at his dad. "Just because someone looking like me is saying it, you shouldn't let your guards down until you're sure it's really me. What if I'd been a shifter? Or possessed? If that had been a bigger fall, you could have got seriously hurt."

Dean still didn't say anything while John got up, paced back and forth in the garden and continued to preach about how important it was for Dean to understand this lesson. Dean nodded when he was supposed to do it and he listened carefully to everything John had to say, but he couldn't help feeling a hint of disappointment and betrayal in his chest from the fact that his dad hadn't caught him when the man had said he would, and Dean quickly blinked back the bitter sting of tears. The fall hadn't been too bad – the tall grass of the overgrown garden had taken the blunt of it so, aside from a sore backside, Dean was alright. He also understood what his father was trying to teach him and the importance of it, but it still hurt to realize that the completely trust he had had in his dad just a few moments ago, had suddenly been broken.

**_ SPN _ **

The oldest Winchester brother was in a dark mood when he returned to the cabin. He went straight to the bathroom to wash off the dirt and the disappointment from the lesson taught outside – without even as much as a glance in Sam's direction. Dean couldn't face his brother right now, not before he'd shaken off the ladder incident. Sam could read him like an open book when he wanted to, and he would know that Dean was upset about something – which Dean wished to spare his brother from worrying about.

"Hey Dean?" Sam called as Dean closed the bathroom door behind him and turned on the faucet over the sink.

"What?" Dean called back, splashing the cool water in his face and rubbing it across his neck.

"Did you know that if you put a piece of pineapple somewhere in your mouth, it will start eating you?" Sam asked.

"No." Dean answered.

"It will!" Sam called back with enthusiasm. "It's because pineapples have these proteins that degrade meat!"

"Fascinating." Dean said – without even the slightest hint of the same enthusiasm in his voice that Sam had in his.

"Also, there's a wild mushroom called Laetiporus that tastes just like fried chicken!" Sam continued. "I bet if you found _that _in a salad, you would actually enjoy eating it for once."

Dean sighed, put his hands on the edge of the sink and leaned on it for a few seconds with his eyes closed – willing his disappointment from earlier away and effectively masking his emotions. He then turned off the water, dried off his face with a towel, opened the bathroom door back up and smiled at his younger brother that was staring at him from his position by the kitchen table.

"I doubt that I would eat anything that has the word _salad _in it." Dean said and ruffled Sam's hair as he passed the younger boy.

"Dean!" Sam whined and scowled at his brother while trying to straighten his brown mop of hair. "Knock it off!"

"You wouldn't have to deal with it if you'd just let me cut it, princess." Dean teased.

"Shut up." Sam said. "And I'm not a princess!"

Dean chuckled and ruffled Sam's hair once more – then quickly jumped back as the ten-year-old aimed a punch at his big brother's chest.

"Too slow little brother." Dean grinned which swiftly turned into a surprised grimace a second later as Sam's pencil hit his forehead.

"Now who's the slow one?" Sam snickered.

"Oh you little bitc-.." Dean started but was cut off when their dad stuck his head into the cabin.

"Boys, outside. Now." John ordered before leaving again.

Sam looked at his older brother but Dean just shrugged his shoulders in answer to the questioning look.

"We better get out there." He said and started moving towards the door.

"But I'm not done with my homework yet." Sam complained.

"You can do them later, Sam. Come on." Dean said, waving for Sam to follow him. "Don't let Dad wait."

Sam made an annoyed sound and reluctantly left his homework behind, before following his brother outside where their dad was waiting for them. Dean paled a little when he saw that their dad was standing next to the folding ladder which he hadn't packed away yet, and an unnerving feeling about what was about to happen crept in on Dean.

"Sam, get over here." John called, motioning for his youngest to hurry up.

Sam glanced at Dean, shortly, before burying his hands inside the pocket of his oversized brown hoodie and walked over to his dad with a puzzled look on his face.

"I want you to climb the ladder, Sammy." John said - hand resting on Sam's shoulder as he told him what to do.

"Dad.." Dean protested.

"Not now, Dean." John barked and shot his oldest son a sharp look before turning his attention back to Sam again.

"How far up?" Sam wanted to know.

"All the way to the top." His dad answered.

A little frown line appeared between Sam's eyes as he took in the sight of the ladder and the surroundings of it – clearly wondering why his father was asking him to do this.

"Dad." Dean repeated.

The oldest Winchester sighed, nudged Sam towards the ladder before moving a bit aside with Dean, and started a muffled conversation with the older brother.

"What's the problem?" John demanded to know – the hard expression on his face letting Dean know that he was far from thrilled with the interruption.

"Is this really necessary?" Dean wanted to know, nodding towards his little brother who was currently climbing the steps of the ladder. "He's gonna get hurt."

"He's not gonna get hurt." John assured. "I know what I'm doing Dean, and I don't appreciate you questioning it."

Dean shrunk a bit under his father's scolding. The only time the oldest Winchester brother ever questioned something his dad did was when Sam was involved – and they both knew it. Still, Dean had just been through this lesson in trust and he didn't like the idea of Sam having to go through the same thing. The youngest brother already had enough trust issues when it came to their father – had had that ever since reading John's journal and finding out about the whole supernatural world that had been kept a secret for him – and Dean knew that this lesson could shatter every little piece of faith Sam had left in the man. And despite the fact that Dean didn't suffer any injuries from the fall he had taken and the fact that he knew their dad would never intentionally cause them any harm, Dean was afraid Sam would get hurt when he hit the ground. The ten-year-old was small for his age and Dean thought he looked even smaller in his oversized hoodie when Sam reached the top of the ladder and turned around to look at his father and brother.

"Alright Sam, I want you to turn back around - then when I tell you to do it, I want you to let yourself fall backwards and then I'll catch you." John said, repeating what he'd told Dean earlier in the day.

Dean looked between his father and brother, almost trembling from the anticipation and anxiety of what was about to happen – especially after seeing the uncertainty in Sam's eyes when their dad explained to him what he wanted him to do.

"You ready son?" John asked, spreading his arms out (as Dean had also seen him do when_ he_ was the one on the top of those steps) and looking expectantly at his youngest. "You trust me, right?"

"Can't Dean do it?" Sam asked hesitantly, not answering his dad's question.

"Can't Dean do what?" John asked and dropped his arms back down with an irritated sigh.

"Catch me?" Sam asked in a small voice. "I want Dean to catch me."

The older hunter chewed on the request for a couple of seconds, then stepped a bit aside, crossed his arms in front of his chest and motioned with his head for Dean to come closer. Dean's heart sank in his chest as he took his dad's place in front of the ladder – his big brother instincts screaming at him to put an end to this show before Sammy got hurt. He wiped some pearls of sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand, then looked up at his younger brother.

"You ready Sam?" Dean asked with a voice so hollow that he almost didn't recognize it himself.

"You gonna catch me?" Sam asked.

Dean glanced at his father who shot him a firm look in return, and the older brother swallowed hard before looking back at Sam again.

"Of course." Dean stated and held out his arms in an inviting gesture – just like his dad had done a few minutes previously.

"You promise?" Sam asked with a dewy-eyed look.

"I promise." Dean said, feeling sick to his stomach as Sam accepted the promise and turned his back towards them as he had been told to do.

"On the count of three, Sam." John ordered. "1.. 2.. 3."

Sam let himself fall backwards but instead of hitting the ground like John had wanted him to do in order to learn the lesson, Sam felt himself being caught around the waist by strong arms. A wave of relief ran through him and, after having been put down on his feet again, Sam beamed up at his big brothert who had caught him as he had promised to do.

"Thanks Dean." Sam smiled.

"We'll talk about this later, Dean." John muttered and shot the older Winchester brother a hard look before walking away with the ladder.

Dean swallowed hard, knowing fully well how furious his dad would be over the fact that Dean had decided to go against his orders, but Dean still managed to send a weak smile down at Sam who was still smiling brightly at him.

"Anytime, buddy." Dean said, draped his arm over Sam's shoulders and guided them both back inside the cabin.

**_ SPN _**

When the brothers were situated in their beds that night, Dean stayed awake for a long time, speculating about the events of the day. After the trouble he had gotten himself into by defying his father's orders, he had a lot of extra hard training sessions ahead of him, but that wasn't really what troubled the oldest Winchester brother the most. It was the fact that he no longer completely trusted the man whom he had looked up to his entire life - his dad, the hero. It had been the whole point of the lesson, Dean knew, to learn that he couldn't trust anyone but himself, but it still bothered him tremendously.

"Hey Dean?" Sam's voice suddenly whispered, effectively tearing Dean out of his thoughts.

"I thought you were asleep?" Dean replied with surprise. "What is it, Sammy?"

"I knew you would catch me." Sam said and, after a few seconds of silence, added: "even though you were not supposed to do it."

Dean frowned by those words and turned onto his side so that his face was turned towards his brother – despite it being too dark for him to actually see Sam.

"How did you know I wasn't supposed to catch you?" Dean wanted to know. "Did Dad tell you?"

"No." Sam answered. "I saw you from the window. I.. eh.. I saw that Dad didn't catch you."

"I see." Dean said and bit his lower lip for a second. "Then why did you still do it?"

"Climb the ladder?" Sam asked.

"Yeah? When you knew Dad wasn't gonna catch you?" Dean wanted to know.

"Because I knew _you _would." Sam stated matter-of-factly.

There was a little bit of silence between them as both brothers were processing the events of the day – then Dean spoke up again.

"It was supposed to be a lesson in trust." He said. "To teach us not to trust anybody."

"Oh.. Well that's stupid." Sam declared.

"Why is that stupid?" Dean asked. "There are a lot of supernatural creatures out there who could trick you into believing that they were me. That's why you can't trust anyone but yourself."

"I would still know if it was the real you." Sam said.

"Yeah right, like how?" Dean asked.

"Because I know you." Sam said. "Wouldn't you know if it was the real me or if it was a fake me?"

"Well.. Yeah, I know I would." Dean realized.

No one knew this kid better than he did - not even Sam himself.

"See, that's why I think it's stupid." Sam said. "You _can _trust someone, Dean. You can always trust me, no matter what."

Dean smiled into the darkness. The knot in his stomach, that he had felt ever since John's lesson earlier in the day, now faded a bit away by his little brother's words. Dean had indeed been taught a very valuable lesson today, and it wasn't that he couldn't trust anyone but himself after all – it was the fact that he couldn't trust anyone.. but Sam.

"Likewise, Sammy." Dean said in a soft voice. "No matter what."

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**THE END.**


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